Loan Ready: How To Approach Your Lender With Confidence

In this episode of Small Business Matters, we tackle one of the most crucial steps for any small business owner: preparing to approach a lender for financing. With over 19 million new businesses formed in the last two years, accessing capital has become a common challenge for many entrepreneurs. However, many small business owners are simply not prepared when they step into a lender’s office. Whether it's underestimating their capital needs, being unsure about the necessary documents, or misunderstanding how the lending process works, these gaps can prevent them from securing the funding they need to succeed. We invited on a great expert who knows the ins and outs of small business lending like few others: Craig Calafati. He is the Vice President of Arkansas Capital Corporation (soon to be rebranded as ACC), and he brings over 30 years of experience in commercial lending—including 25 years as an SBA lender to the conversation. Craig has helped countless businesses navigate the financing process. In this episode, he offers invaluable advice on what every small business owner needs to know before they approach a lender.